The Osceola times., 1887-04-16
BEECHgH's CAREER.
The Late Plymouth Pastors Autob,o...
phy as He Gave II to N Nevxpap.


is remarkable. His birth and earl,
history can be no better told than in ri,
own words, given not quite a year aoO.
IL was present, of course" he saa
"when l was born, but | haven't ths
slightest recollection Of the event
learned subsequently that j, was >,
EteTiicld on June "a, 1918. Nv cbld.
hood was perhaps no different from
that of others seventy years ago. The
little ones in those days were not giyee
The consideration that is now accorded
them. and properly so, too. A litera.
ture for children was not dreamed Of
There were no childven's festivals and
holidays; no Christmas ard New Years
parties. The only time that brought
us any especial favor was Thanksgiy.
ing. when the New England house
wives Wed with one another in the
composition of unique pies in limitless
quantity.
"And so was let alone. My father
was kslt busy with his pastoral duties.
and my mother had so many other chil.
dren to attend TO that little attention
was paid to me. Still, ! wa not lone
some. was not fond of reading, butt
used to like to tramp about the woods
and down by the bro ks among the
fens and brakes. would go on hunt
fof sweet-Hag and sassafras, and
knew Just where to find the squirrels.
| found plenty to do.
Occasionally the paternal govern.
ment would reach; sometimes my
father w0cld whip me. l remember
that he used to tell me that the whip
ping hurt him more than it did me-
II ,tas hard to believe. because he was
a strong man. but / believed 1t, and it
used to make me cry TO be told so; then
of course had to cry when the whip
ping began, and, all in all, those were
very doleful episodes. >"
About this time he said in his
droll way. "my, family woke up t' the
fact that I needed looking after" and
he was sent to Hartford and placed un-
der the charge of his sister, who was
principal OF the girls school there. He
was the only boy among forty girls.
and this perhaps dampened his ardor
for knowledge, for he declared that his
time there was also misspent. He was
shortly sent to the Latin school, and
that oppressed him. He was restless
and strangely unhappy. OF this period
In his life he said:
"My father let nIe read the stories Of
Nelson and Captain Cook. The ad-
venture fever that often seizes boys
took hold of me. | had all sorts OF
fancv-drawn pictures of what | might
do in the jungles and deserts OF the
Orient.
IL used to lounge about the docks
and wharves in Boston and listen to the
shouts of the sailors and watch the
great merchantmen make ready for
their voyage to the Indies. AT last
could stand it no longer. ldctermlned
to 90 to sea and had actually made all
arrangements when my father discov-
cred my purpose by chance.
"He did not oppose me, strange as il
may seem. He advised me TO go to
Mount Pleasant Academy, at Amherst,
and prepare myself by the study of
navigation and mathematics for II sea-
faring life. And to Mount Pleasant |
went, and in little while forgot all
Il out my boyish freak. There | did
study, and when | left | was fitted to
enter Amherst College. At college |
studied what | liked and didn't study
what didn't like"
At the age Of twenty-one Mr.. Beech
er received his degree. and went to
Lane Seminary. at Cincinnati, to study
theology. Graduating from that insti-
tuition he went to Lawrenceburg, n lit
tie place on the Ohio river, ard preach
ed to his first congregation. Of this
dismal beginning of his illustrious ca
reer he said:
How poor we were!
There were only about twenty per-
sons in the flock. was janitor rs well
as pastor of the little whitewashed
church. | bought some lamps and
filled them and lighted them. | swept
the church and busted the benches and
kindled the fire. and didn't ring the
bell only because there wasn't any.
; "Well. my next move was To Indian
apolis. There had more consider
able congregation, though ! was still
| far from rich in the worlds rools
remember very well how / borrowed ;
: paint pot and brushes and gave my
house fresh coat--it was yellow,
believe. But the aguc shook us out o
the State. Ny wife's health gave wa.
and We were forced to come East"
His wife. to whom he here alludes
was born at West Sutton. Worceste
County, Mass, in 1912. She was o
English descent. Her father, DIR. Bul
lard, was physician. Her maideI
name was Eunice White Ballard. Sh'
was educated at Worcester and Hadley
Mass. and while Mr.. Beechcr was n
Amherst her brother invited him ovel
to spend his vacation. Here she me
him. The lovers were engaged fo
, seven years, and were married in 1887
, when Mr.. Bcecher accepted his iirs
call at Lawrenceburg, The issue o
; the marriage was ten children, of whom
four are at present living.
( 1t was almost by accident that Mr.
Beecher came to Brooklyn. What i